Identify the components of the prevention and treatment of substance abuse and dependence

What to expect:

This course uses Carmen and will required access to a reliable internet connection

Weekly online quizzes to check for understanding of course materials

Comparing and contrasting the effects of opioids, hallucinogens, marijuana, and performance-enhancing drugs

Potential benefits:

Knowledge of available treatment options for substance abuse and dependence

Being able to identify the differences between substances

Understanding the consequences of alcohol/drug dependence

Fun Facts:

Nearly 88,000 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making it the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

In 2006, alcohol misuse problems cost the United States $223.5 billion.

696,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking

Drug abuse and addiction changes your brain chemistry. The longer you use your drug of choice, the more damage is done – and the harder it is to go back to “normal” during drug rehab.

An individual who abuses heroin or other drugs that might be injected directly into muscle tissue or veins drastically increases their risk of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis or other infections through the use of shared needles. It is easy for an individual to claim they simply won’t share needles, however, once the drug has been introduced into the brain and affects the ability to make sound decisions, the risk of sharing needles for the purposes of injecting more of the drug is always there.